Container for medicaments



Aug. 10, 1965 L. Ruoss ETAL 3,199,489

CONTAINER FOR MEDICAMENTS l Filed Maron 5, 1964 s sheets-sheet 1 I NVE NTOR.

- Aug. 10, 1965 L, Ruoss ETAL 3,199,489

CONTAINER FOR MEDI CAMEN TS Filed March 5, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.7

INVENTOR.

Aug. 1o, 1965 Filed March 5, 1964 L. RUOSS ETAL CONTAINER FOR MEDIGAMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 7/ 3Q lz [2 INVENTORS 6o /iuoss United States Patent O 3,1%?,489 CNTAINER FR MEDHCAMENTS Leo Ruoss and Ewald Wetzel, Moehlin, Friedrich Marx, Stein, and Hans Luescher, IBasel, Switzerland, assignors to Ciba Limited, Basel, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Filed Mar. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 349,705 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 12, 1963, 13,873/63 2 Claims. (Cl. 116-121) The present invention relates to a container for medicaments for use in human and veterinary medicine which medicaments are in a form ready for administration, for example, pills, tablets, dragees, suppositories, pessaries, and the like, and w-hich have to be administered at speciiied intervals during a determined cycle of treatment. In the container `of the invention the contents are disposed on a disc in one or several concentric circles or spirals, and the container is provided with a dial or spiral strip marked with the prescribed times at which the medicament has to be administered within the cycle of treatment. The marked dial or spiral strip may be either immovable or adjustable, and the position of the contents of the container in relation to the markings of the medicament is due during the cycle of treatment.

ln the novel container of the invention the single doses are disposed in individual compartments arranged in circles or spirals in a section which forms a press out pack-age, which package is formed by superposing a flat covering foil made of a material easy to Itear and suitable for press out tablet extraction on a foil forming a lower section and which is made of a non-rigid but relatively tear-resistant material and of which at least a part is transparent, and attaching it thereto. The lower section is provided with deep indentations arranged in circles or spirals, which indentations, together with the at covering foil, form compartments. The aforementioned circular section forming a press out package is rmly attached to the bottom of the lower part of the container which is made of comparatively rigid material. lt is attached in such a manner that the bottom of the lower part of the container is parallel to the circular section, and the covering toil of the circular section is facing the bottom of the lower part of the container. The bottom of the lower part of the container is provided with apertures corresponding in shape and size of the compartments in the circular package section. They are arranged in circles or spirals and are in register with the compartments. rThus, by applying suitable pressure Ato a compartment, its contents can be removed from the container through an aperture.

In a specially advantageous version of the container of the invention the markings indicating the times of administration are on adjustable dial disposed in the section forming the package which dial is positioned concentrically in relation to the compartments. The dial has a radius shorter than the shortest distance from the centre of any one of the compartments, and the said adjustable dial is provided with a device, for example, a catch mechanism, which enables it to be set permanently and irreversibly in a specilic position selected at the commencement of the treatment cycle.

Material suitable for the covering foil that must be capable or" tearing easily is, for example, paper, cellophane and, more especially, thin aluminum foil.

Non-rigid but tear-resistant material suitable for the lower section is, for example, a toil made of cellulose acetate or polyethylene or polypropylene or more especially plasticized polyvinyl chloride.

The lower part of the container may be made from any comparatively rigid material having adequate mechanical lghid Patented Aug. 10, 1965 `ice strength, for example, aluminum, hardened synthetic resins, for example, phenol resin, urea resin, melamine resin cr epoxy resin, or from suitable thermoplasts, for example, cellulose acetate, polystyrene, polyethylene and the like.

lf desired, lthe lower part of the container may be provided with a lid of conventional type which may be made of the same material .as the lower part of the container or of different material. However, a lid is not essential.

The novel container of the invention is specially suitable for packaging temporary contraceptic preparations. Such a preparation is marketed under the trademark Noracyclin The temporary prevention of conception brought about by such a preparation has nature as its pattern and is based on a physiological principle, namely, the occurrence of infertile phases as a protective function. ln order to ensure that conception is prevented, 1 tablet has to be taken daily from the fth day of the cycle to the twenty-fourth day of the cycle. When medication is discontinued the ovulation cycle recommences and normal fertility is restored. If the tablets are not taken regularly conception can 4occur and pregnancy follows its normal course.

The appended drawings illustrate the invention in greater detail.

FIG. l shows a top view of the container of the inven-` tion, intended for a contraceptive, without lid.

FlG. 2 -shows a cross-section of the container through the line 2 2 in FIG. l with the dial in position.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the package section of the container depicted in FIG. l.

FlG. 4 shows a cross-section of the package section of the container through the line i-fi in FIG. 3.

FlG. 5 shows a top view of the lower part of the container depicted in FIG. 1 with the dial removed.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the lower part of the container through the line 6 6 lin FIG. 5.

PlG. 7 shows a perspective view of the container of the invention with lid partly broken-away.

FIG. S shows an exploded perspective view of the container of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the container of the invention showing the relationship of the various parts.

In the drawings, the package section 1 is made up of a lower section 2 made of plasticized polyvinyl chloride and is provided with a total of 20 ldeep indentations 3 for the contraceptive tablets 4, which indentations are arranged in two concentric circles, and a covering foil 5 made of aluminum. The package section 1 is provided with peripheral notches d, a central aperture 7, and concentrically arranged apertures S.

The package section 1 is rigidly attached to the lower part of the container 9, which is made of polyethylene. The cam 1t) prevents movement in a vertical direction, and `the studs 11 engage the peripheral notches 6 to prevent circular movement. The lower par-t of the container 9 is provided with a total of 2O apertures 12 arranged in two concentric circles, which apertures correspond exactly in number, shape and position to the concentrically arranged compartments 3 of .the package section 1, and which are in exact register with the said compartments 3.

rl`he lower part of the container 9 is furthermore provided with a central boss 13, which has an undercut 13a, and also concentrically arrange-d studs 14. The boss 13 and the studs 14 engage the apertures '7 and ofthe package section. A dial i5 with concentrically arranged holes 16 is disposed on the central boss 13. Before the container is used, the di-al 15 rests on the undercut 13a and can be turned round on the boss 13. The dial is inscribed with the days of the week arranged radially at regular intervals. The inscriptions are spaced in such a adsense manner lthat the 2() tablet compartments 3 of the package section lie on the radial extensions of the inscriptions of 20 successive days when a specific day is set in position at the red mark M. The day then pointing to the first compartment is always the fifth day, inclusive, from the day at the red mark.

The container lis used as follows: On the first day of the cycle, that .is to say, the day that menstrual bleeding commences, for example, a Tuesday, the dial is turned until the word Tuesday is in line with the red mark M. The day on which the treatment is to commence, namely, the following Saturday, is then automatically in position opposite the first tablet compartment (counting clockwise). The dial is then pressed down below lthe undercut 13a and the concentrically arranged studs 14 of the lower part of the container engage the holes 16 in the dial and lock -it in position. It is then possible to see on which days a tablet has to be taken. The tablets are extracted from the container by pressing the compartments 3 through the apertures 12 in the lower part of the container; the aluminium `covering foil 5 tears and the tablet drops out. 1f the person undergoing treatment forgets to take a tablet the over-sight can be detected by the tact that the cornpartment for that particular day is still intact. Reliable control is thus possible.

The lower part of the container may be covered by a removable lid 117 made of opaque material, for example, polyethylene.

The tablets in the transparent package section are thus protected from the action of light.

The invention is not restricted to the version described above. Tn particular, `the adjustable dial may be replaced by an immovable circular plate inscribed with numbers. The igure 1 represents the first day of the cycle and is in the same position as the red mark M in the preceding version. The figure 5, corresponding .to the fifth day of the cycle, is then `opposite the first compartment (counting clockwise), the figure 6, corresponding to the sixth day of the cycle, is opposite the second compartment, and so forth, up to the figure 24 representing the 24th day of the cycle which is opposite the last compartment.

The drawback to this version as compared with the first system described is that 1a calendar check has to be carried out throughout the period of treatment.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l.. A dispenser for a medicament to be administered at specific intervals, which medicament is in the form of pills and the like, comprising a walled container having a rigid base, said base formed with a plurality of concentrically arranged openings, of size suficiently large to permit press out of said medicament, an easily tearable foil, completely covering said base7 extending to the periphery of said baise, a central shaft attached to said base, a removably movable dial of radius less than that of said concentrically arranged openings mounted on said shaft, means on said base cooperating with means on said dial for locking said dial, a scale on said foil concentric with and positioned adjacent to the periphery of said dial, each unit of said medicament being positioned on said easily-tearable foil, a non-rigid tear-resistant foil for encapsulating said medicament positioned in `said container, whereby said medicament is maintained in registry with said concentrically arranged openings to permit press out egress through said openings.

2. A dispenser for a medicament to be administered at specific intervals, which medicament is in the form of pills and the like, comprising a walled container having a rigid base, said base formed with a plurality of spirally arranged openings7 of size suiliciently large to permit press out of said medicament, an easily-tearable foil, completely covering said base, extending to the periphery of said base, a central shaft attached to said base, a removably movable dial of radius .less Ithan that of said spirally arranged openings mounted on said shaft, means on said base cooperating with means on said dial for locking said dial, a scale on said foil concentric with .and positioned adjacent to the periphery of said dial, each unit of said medicament being positioned on said easilyatearable foil, a non-rigid tear resistant foil for encapsulating said medicament positioned within said container, whereby said medicament is maintained in registry with said concentrically arranged openings to permit press out egress through said openings.

Referenees Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,240,026 9/ 17 Chapman 206-42 2,164,719 7 39 Peterson et al 206-42 2,317,860 4/43 Sorensen 206-42 2,328,119 8/43 Allen 206-78 2,3 86,416 10/ 45 Wilhelm 206-42 2,953,242 9/ 60 Shaw 206-42 2,971,638 2/61 Allison et al 206-78 l3,085,679 4/ 63 Burrell 206-42 3,124,241 3/ 64 Holley et al. 206-78 3,143,207 8/64 Wagner 206-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,676 7/31 France.

LOUIS CAPOZI, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR A MEDICAMENT TO BE ADMINISTERED AT SPECIFIC INTERVALS, WHICH MEDICAMENT IS IN THE FORM OF PILLS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A WALLED CONTAINER HAVING A RIGID BASE, SAID BASE FORMED WITH A PLURALTY OF CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED OPENINGS, OF SIZE SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO PERMIT PRESS OUT OF SAID MEDICAMENT, AN EASILY TEARABLE FOIL, COMPLETELY COVERING SAID BASE, EXTENDING TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BASE, A CENTRAL SHAFT ATTACHED TO SAID BASE, A REMOVABLY MOVABLE DIAL OF RADIUS LESS THAN THAT OF SAID CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED OPENINGS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, MEANS ON SAID BASE COOPERATING WITH MEANS ON SAID DIAL FOR LOCKING SAID DIAL, A SCALE ON SAID FOIL CONCENTRIC WITH AND POSITIONED ADJACENT TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DIAL, EACH UNIT OF SAID MEDICAMENT BEING POSITIONED ON SAID EASILY-TERABLE FOIL, A NON-RIGID TEAR-RESISTANT FOIL FOR ENCAPSULATING SAID MEDICAMENT POSITIONED IN SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY SAID MEDICAMENT IS MAINTAINED IN REGISTRY WITH SAID CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED OPENINGS TO PERMIT PRESS OUT EGRESS THROUGH SAID OPENINGS. 